Composite lubrication seal



June 6, 1939. A. R. BERMAN 2,161,003

COMPOSITE LUBRICATION SEAL Original Filed April 12, 1937 "2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AARON A. BER/WAN IN V EN TOR ATTORNEY June 6, 1939. A. R. BERMAN 2,161,003

COMPOSITE LUBRICATION SEAL Original Filed April 12, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Z5 AARON R. BERMAN INVENTOR. BM M A TTORNEY Patented June a, 1939 Application April 12, 1937, Serial No. 136,396 Eenewcd November 1, 1938 2 Claims.

vices and particularly to novel means associated with rotating shafts for preventing leakage of lubricating oil or grease through the shaft openings in housings which are filled with a lubricating medium through which the rotating shafts project.

Rotating rear axle and propelling shafts for vehicles, etc. are mounted in housings which are fluid tight but have shaft openings which must be sealed against leakage of lubricating fluid contained in the housing. v

Compressed packings employed tating shafts present considerable resistance which result in the ultimate scoring of the shafts and the development of leaks between the sealing means and the rotating shaft.

An object of this invention is-to provide a fluid seal for rotating shafts comprising inherently resilient means compounded so as not to be subject to the deteriorative action by contact with the lubricating fluids to be sealed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a composite fluid seal for rotating shafts which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost,

which is easy to install and compact and which is not subject to excessive wear by frictional contact.

Another object of this invention is to provide a composite sealing device which may be employed either when the shaft revolves in a stationary housing or when a stationary shaft is mounted in a rotating housing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a composite lubrication seal comprising an inherently yieldable annulus designed to be deformable radially while maintaining sealing engagement with a revolving shaft.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed outin the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary central vertical sectional view of an axle housing bearing struchire and shaft, equipped with a composite lubrication sealing device which is representative of one embodiment of my invention wherein "the sealcomprises an integral flange.

for sealing ro- This invention relates to composite sealing de- Figure 2 is'an inner face view of the resilient sealing member l2.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an axle housing bearing structure and associated shaft, equipped with a modified seal- 5 ing device wherein an inherently yieldable sealing member having a radially. movable annulus is integral with an outer annulus vulcanized inside a housing.

Figure 4 is an inner face view of the modified 10 form of lubricant seal 25 shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the resilient sealing member l2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

the numeral Ill identifies a composite lubricating 16 seal comprising a metallic housing member I l and an inherently resilient sealing member l2. The resilient sealing member I! is made of synthetic rubber so compounded as to resist swelling when in contact with lubricating fluids. The sealing 20 member is molded and bonded in permanent intimate union with the seal housing ll so that there is eliminated the possibility of leakage of the lubricating fluid between the contacting surfaces of the members H and i2.

26 The housing member II has a flange l3, preferably of circular form and having apertures H to receive bolts l5 where by the seal housing ll may be secured to an axle housing l6 provided with a bearing il through which extends a ve- 30 hicle axle shaft 18. The seal housing ll includes a sleeve l9 into which an annular portion 20 of the sealing member is molded.

The sealing member I! has an integral sealing annulus 2| extending centrally in spaced rela- 35 tion from the annular portion 20 and forming an annular recess 22, to permit said annulus to breathe radially concomitantly with the revolving shaft l8. It is to be noted that the internal diameter of the annulus is smaller than that of the shaft l8 so as to forcibly and resiliently contact the shaft in sealing relation; under practical operating conditions-the rotating shaft I! may not be perfectly centrally mounted and the revolving shaft causes continuous displacement of the annulus in radial directions.

The lubricating fluid 23 in the housing l6 may. enter under pressure into the space 22 between the inner and outer annular portions 20 and II and cause an augmented radial pressure to be exerted by the annulus 2i againstthe shaft It. The area of contact between the annulus l2 and the surface'of the shaft It may be made very small to minimize friction and still form a fluidtight seal.

Figure 8 shows a modified lubricant seal 2! comprising an inherently resilient sealing member 20 and a metallic housing member 21.

The housing member 21 has a flange 2. having apertures I. to receive bolts 3| whereby the seal housing 21 may be secured to an axle housing 3| provided with a bearing 35 through which extends a shaft 32. A gasket 33 has been placed between the flange 2| and the hub 34 of the housing ll to secure fluid tightness therebetween. The seal housing 21 includes a sleeve" into which the sealing member 2' is molded and caused to adhere thereto by vulcanization.

The sealing member 26 has an integral sealing annulus 31 extending centrally in spaced-relation and forming an annular recess 38, to permit the annulus to breathe or to be deformable radially concurrently with the revolving shaft 32. The internal diameter of the annulus 31 is smaller than that of the shaft 32 so as to forcibly and resiliently contact the shaft in sealing relationunder practical operating conditions.

It is to be noted that the synthetic rubber used for forming the resilient sealing members herein described is compounded to limit the expansion to almost negligible proportions and adhered directly to the metallic housing member. It is to be understood that-the surface adhesion between the inherently resilient sealing material and the metal housing is sufilcient to permanently retain the said members in parmanent intimate union without any mechanical connecting means.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the lubricant can pass through the bearing into the annular recess in the sealing member and that when the lubricant is under pressure, the pressure in the recess will press radially against the fixed outer circular portion of the sealing member and simultaneously press radially against the yieldable inner circular portion and cause said inner portion to frictionally engage the shaft in sealing relation. Under actual operating conditions, when the shaft is slightly out of in operative relation with" a revolving housing such as are used in automobile front axles and in industrial applications it is to be understood that I may apply the invention for other sealing purposes to provide a frictional drive between rotary members without destructive frictional engagement. As shown in Figure 5, the resilient sealing member i2, at the time of vulcanization in housing member or shell'plate II the sealing annulus 21 has its inner diameter tapered and furthermore, its inner diameter near its free endis smaller thanthe diameter of the shaft l8, so that when the sealing member I! is fitted on the shaft It the sealing annulus 2| becomes deformed, so that said annulus 2| will assume the shape'shown in Figure 1. Also the outer diameter of the annulus 2| is slightly tapered and is smaller at its inner free end as shown in Figure 5.- As previously stated, the wall of the annulus 2| is thicker than the outer cylindrical wall of the resilient sealing member If, and owing tothis particular construction of the annulus If it becomes deformed when fitted on the shaft II, and due to this construction and the smallness of the diameters the sealing annulus I! will hug and wipe against the shaft, and therefore result in a breathing action within the space between the resilient annulus If and the outer wall of the sealing member II. In other, words, if there be any movement of the shaft [8 radially relative to the axle housing l6 such breathing action takes place. Furthermore, as a. result of such movement of the shaft I8 radially relative to the housing IS the wall of the resilient annulus 2| will become more deformed on one side than the opposite side, which will "insure said breathing action, and thereby causing the annulus If to constantly hug and wipe against the shaft l8, thereby preventing escape' of the lubricant.

What I claim is: v

1. The combination with a revoluble shaft passing through the wall of a casing, of a fluid sealin'gdevice therefor, a shell plate having a cylindrical cavity co-axial with the shaft, and provided with aradial flange secured to the easing, an annular resilient compound sealing element of synthetic rubber conforming to and bonded adhesively to the inner surface of said shell plate, said cylindrical portion merging into a reversely turned flexible resilient flange spaced from the inner surface of said cylindrical portion and surroundingly hugging and wiping against the surface of said shaft, said flexible resilient flange being of greater thickness than that portion of the sealing element which engages the inner surface of the cavity, and being of smaller diameter at its free end than the shaft and due to said greater thickness a deformity of the flangetakes place when fitting said sealing element over the shaft thereby causing the resilient flange to huggingly wipe against the shaft setting up a breathing action and preventing escape of the fluid, said deformed portion of the resilient flange extending toward the fluid in said casing and tending toward a torsional action with the shaft to prevent the fluid escaping from said casing.

2. The combination with a revoluble shaft passing through the wall of a casing, of a fluid sealing device therefor, a shell plate having a cylindrical'cavity co-axial with the shaft and provided with a radial flange secured to the casing. an annular resilient compound sealing element of synthetic rubber conforming to and bonded adhesively to the inner surface of said cavity and extending bondingly over said radial flange, said cylindrical'portion merging into a reversely turned flexible resilient flange spaced from the inner surface of. said cylindrical portion and surroundingly hugging and wiping against the surface of said shaft, said flexible resilient flange being of greater thickness than that portion of the sealing element which engages the inner surface of the cavity, ind being of smaller diameter at its free end than the shaft and due to said greater thickness a deformity of the flange takes place when fitting said sealing element over the shaft thereby causing the resilient flange to huggingly wipe against the shaft setting up a breathing action and preventing escape of the fluid, said deformed portion of the resilient flange extending toward the fluid in said casing and tending toward a torsional action with the shaft to prevent the fluid escaping from said casing.

AARON R. .BERMAN. 

